I'll Stand By You
by DulceDream
Summary: Charming family one-shot. Emma/Snow/Charming. Someone from Emma's past returns and Emma is hurting, how Snow and Charming cope with it?


**A/N my first try, so please be gentle! This take's place after Emma and Snow return from FTL. My take on what would happen if Neal was about to show up in Storybrooke. A Charming family bonding one shot.**

First thing Snow noticed was how Emma suddenly tensed up as she was walking in front of her parents. It was only few days that Snow and Emma made it safely to Storybrooke and they were both still recovering from what they had to go through. Emma, in particularly became her old self closing everything inside and by now Snow knew not to push and wait for Emma to let her back in. It was still a lot to take in. Back then, they had so much to occupy their minds – take the dust from Cora, make sure they don't get killed, look out for everyone and now, unlike there, it was relatively calm. Sure, there was Regina, Rumplestiltskin, but it was their home. They were with Charming and Henry and the mere fact of Emma not running away and staying with Snow and Charming was a big step.

Charming might still don't know Emma well enough but he sure did know what this concerned look meant. He looked at Snow questioning. She only shrugged and he looked back at Emma, who now suddenly stopped.

"Shit" Emma muttered under her nose. She felt all blood completely vanish from her as she stood pale unable to move. Her mind was screaming, she wanted to run, but her legs felt like they no longer belonged to her and her mind was going crazy. She was suddenly in panic mode until she felt a familiar touch. Snow grabbed her hand and she didn't fidget. "I..need to go" she whispered barely audible. Snow looked panicked at Charming.

"Emma what's wrong?" James asked concerned. Both of them felt something terrible was going on with Emma.

"Emma who is he?" Snow stared at the point Emma was staring.

"No one"

"Emma" Snow felt panicked. This was the wrong time for Emma not to trust her. "Emma, please" she turned Emma to look at her. Emma hid her face with her hands.

"Emma do you know him?" Charming asked concerned. They have never ever seen this guy in Storybrooke before and that was alone worrying because no one would ever come to this town unless it meant something.

Snow read Emma. "It's Neal, isn't it?"

_Snow felt so tired. Like never before in her life. It has became so hard, that she was losing faith completely. Will they really ever return? Every single time they tried they failed, ever since getting the compass it has been worse and worse. Cora was hurting everyone and for once, she was scared. What if she was unable to protect Emma? The moment of despair came when she found Emma injured few hours earlier. Emma was assuring she was fine and it was nothing, apparently she showed Cora how she won't be able to do what she wanted. Well, even if that was true, Emma's hand was still injured and there were no doctors around. _

_As for Emma, it hurt like a bitch, but she wasn't about to whine. After seeing Mary Margaret's face she already regretted she didn't pull better face and acted all was peachy. She hated to worry anyone, sure she might be her mother but that was even harder. For some odd reason, this lady convinced herself she had to protect Emma from everything and Emma had no idea how to deal with that. No one has ever cared about her so much for her to figure out how it is done in those cases. She just knew she didn't like to see Mary Margaret feeling bad and it felt like it was Emma's fault. _

_Emma carefully walked over as Mary Margaret was sitting on a branch and completely lost in her thoughts. Emma had a feeling it was something to do with what happened to her. _

_"Hey" she tried to smile a bit. Snow looked up at her immediately smiling back. "How are you feeling?"_

_"Better" Emma lied. She sighed, her mind rang. Okay. Let's do this. _

_She carefully, without moving her arm too much, sat down on the ground nearby. Snow looked at her with her eyes gleaming full of hope. "Are you okay?"_

_"Of course, why would you ask that?" Snow asked surprised._

_"You seem lost" Emma leaned down at the branch sitting nearby. _

_"I… I was just thinking. I hope we can make it back home"_

_"We will" Emma said sure. "I know we will"_

_Snow smiled at Emma's confidence. Wasn't she supposed to be the one saying that?_

_"I'm sorry" Emma looked at Snow confused. "I'm sorry for failing to get us out of danger" Snow continued._

_"What? What are you talking about? Look, this is none of your fault!" Emma got angry. "You don't need to impose on yourself any kind of duties!"_

_"But I do, Emma." Snow sighed. "Even if you hate me for that, you will always be my daughter, I don't care how old you are, ever that moment I held you for the first time in my life I had to make the hardest decisions, because all I ever want to is protect you. From everything. Even if I fail sometimes" Snow's eyes glistered with fresh tears as Emma flinched. She wasn't used to or liked the moments of honesty and she knew there was nothing she could ever do to change anything or go back. As if she would ever want that. It was hard and she did not know how to cope at all. That moment she could stand up and walk to see if Mulan had enough branches for fire or she could just stay here for a change and not run away from things that mattered to her. _

_"I know." Emma admitted. "I'm sorry, I'm just not used to it" _

_Snow smiled, it gave her courage as much as she promised to herself not to push it, it felt the right moment. She extended her hand and stroked Emma's hair. Emma didn't pull, instead she leaned and left her head rest on Snow's lap. It was the most amazing sensation Snow has ever felt. For the first time she could reach out to Emma and maybe, just maybe feel for a second as if everything is okay._

_"He left me"_

_Snow held breath. "Who?"_

_"Henry's father" Emma admitted. _

_Snow's heart skipped a beat. It was first time Emma has actually said something about her past ever since she found out Snow was her mother. _

_"Who was he?"_

_"His name was Neal. Neal Cassidy. When I got out of the system I started stealing." Emma held her breath. _

_Snow stroked her cheek as Emma closed her eyes. "You know, I did too, that's how I met your…Charming. David."_

_Emma smiled. Snow was glad she was able to have Emma distracted from pain for a smallest second. _

_"He was stealing too. So we just did it together, to get through" Snow closed eyes, glad Emma couldn't see how it hurt to hear everything she could have gone through, but happy she had Emma trusting enough to tell her something so important. "So one day we used a shower in this hotel and Neal said we could go somewhere and live there. It was probably happiest moment of my life. I felt for once I belonged somewhere. I picked Tallahassee from the map and it was a new beginning." Emma paused gathering her thoughts. Her body was all tense and it hurt so much, to this day to bring this up. It was something she needed to do, she was never able to move on. _

_"So one day he comes over and shows me this poster, police was looking for him, because he stole watches from this place. Really expensive watches. Long story short-" Emma sighed holding back tears. "I went to that place take them for him and after I gave them to him…I never saw him again"_

_Snow wiped tears quickly before Emma could notice. "So not only I never saw him again, but he sent police after me." Snow clenched fists." And then I had Henry in jail. The rest you know" _

_"Oh Emma…" Snow leaned and placed a kiss on her forehead to which Emma instinctively flinched but didn't pull away. Snow pulled her closer, there was so much she wanted to say and do, just as much as Emma didn't need this moment, so all she did was hold Emma and wipe her tears. And for this, she was never ever going to let anyone hurt Emma again._

Emma didn't say anything.

"Neal?" Charming widened eyes. He looked at Snow, then at Emma, who looked a complete mess and there was no explanation needed. Emma looked at him suddenly worried as his face changed.

"James….JAMES"

Snow widened her eyes as Charming took off before she could stop him.

"You told him?" Emma accused her and something died inside of her. This was not supposed to happen like this.

Charming only wished he had his sword with him. Hell, anything he could use to kill this man.

Maybe he did miss Emma's first steps, he missed her first words, he was never able to teach her to ride a horse or protect herself. He never saw her suitors and never made sure to tell them not ever hurt his little girl ever. He protected her. He took his minute old baby, fighting everyone and anyone so he could get her to the safety no matter the cost. He could have gladly died then if it meant Emma was safe. Therefore, naturally finding out something like this, when Snow trusted him enough and made him promise never tell Emma, he had no control over.

He wanted this man dead. Now.

"Hi I'm l-" Charming straight punched the man before he could finish anything ignoring Snow and Emma shouting at him. "YOU"

"Excuse me, what the hell- EMMA" Neal got up immediately from the ground reaching out for Emma, but before he could do that Charming pushed him down punching him.

"You ever, ever in your miserable life get near Emma and I will kill you" he held him by his shirt "Do you hear that?"

Neal looked completely in awe and nodded. "C-can I talk to Emma?"

"No!"

"It's fine!" Emma replied.

James looked at Emma untrusting. "It's fine. Please. " Emma nearly squeaked out. That was something she's never seen coming.

"I'm not leaving you with him alone" James said in a tone she could not argue about.

Emma felt really small.

She was still in shock, of all things she might have dreamed to happen, this was not one of them. She looked at Snow asking for help.

"Please Emma? We'll be just right here"

Emma nodded. Charming took Snow's hand walking little behind, with a stern look.

"Emma who the hell-"

"My parents" It came out automatically. She was surprised how right it sounded this moment.

She was proud. She felt loved. She felt safe and protected. She wasn't alone anymore. And she could go against the world.

"You have 2 minutes"


End file.
